One of the challenges in energy storage, whether for mobile applications such as vehicles or for stationary applications such as uninterruptible power supplies, is fixturing or otherwise holding discrete battery cells in a large pack configuration that may include several to hundreds of individual cells. It is nearly always the case that cells are positioned in some form of parallel and/or series arrangement to provide sufficient voltage and current capacity for any given application. Thus, for example, to form a 48 volt DC battery pack from 2 volt cells, 24 cells are connected in series. Depending on the current that the pack supplies, the series string of 24 cells may be connected in parallel with one or more additional 24 cell strings. Conventionally, the frame work that supports the cells and provides the series and parallel electrical connections, are custom designed and deployed in accordance with the requirements of any given pack.
What is needed, among other things, is a battery cell holder that may be used to connect cells in series and/or parallel, and may be used for various possible pack requirements. It is with these and other issues in mind that various aspects of the present disclosure were developed.